Whiteout
by Casy Dee
Summary: Connor is taking Abby home to meet his mum, but a blizzard, an unexpected stop and unforeseen danger await them instead. Can Connor and Abby survive it intact?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: ****Happy birthday Tay_21****! I won't tell you her prompts until the end, because I don't want to spoil it. This is set sometime after S4 I imagine.**

**Really hope ya'll like this! Rating will go up to M in the next chapter, or the one after. **

**Warning: Violence **

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**Chapter 1**

Connor was beyond nervous, and as typical with him when he was nervous, he couldn't shut up. Abby was well fed up with him already. It was not the way he'd intended to spend the car ride… talking her ear off and putting her in such a foul mood that she was likely to strangle him at any given moment. Ordinarily she was not bothered by his tendency to talk pretty much in a continuous stream, but even _he_ was beginning to get bothered by the sound of his own voice. The prospect of taking her home to meet his mum was more than a little bit frightening, and he couldn't seem to make himself shut up. To add to that, snow was beginning to fall in thick wet clumps, and Abby's driving left him scrambling for a handhold on more than one occasion.

Abby had been reluctant to meet his mum, and to be honest, ha still wasn't sure if he really wanted them to meet. His mum was a little bit… unusual, but he wanted to do things properly when he asked Abby to marry him, and that meant she should at least meet his mum first. And the asking part… that was important. He'd known for a long time that he wanted to marry her. Assuming she would marry him had been a bit of a misstep; his had mouth moved before his brain filtered the contents. It happened a lot, unfortunately. Like now.

"That big van has been following us for miles. What's the odds they're headed for Blackburn? It would be funny if it was someone I knew, wouldn't it? Like me high school maths teach-"

"Connor, I'm trying to concentrate… the roads are getting worse," Abby said, trying for patient and missing it by a mile.

"Sorry. I'm shutting up now. I'll just let you concentrate on-"

"Connor!"

"Sorry," he replied, pressing his lips together.

He was true to his word and managed to keep his thoughts to himself until the snow stated falling so thickly that he could hardly see the road ahead. He wasn't sure how Abby was managing to drive in a straight line. He could still faintly make out taillights, but that was about all.

"Abby? Perhaps you should let me drive, eh?"

Abby's eyes narrowed in a glare, but never left the road, "I'm fine."

Connor chewed his lip and nodded. He reached across the car to rest his hand on the back of her neck, and then begin rubbing her tense shoulders. She gave an appreciative groan and flicked her eyes to meet his and gave him a brief apologetic smile. She was on edge as well, and she hadn't intended to speak to him so harshly. He smiled back at her, always ready to forgive and forget.

Abby and Connor both nearly jumped out of their skin as the little portable anomaly detector went off inside Connor's pocket.

"You brought _that_ along?" Abby asked.

Connor shrugged, "Yeah. Kinda had to so we could get so many days off in a row. I promised we could be recalled if needed, and what with Amy Lim from the research department gone missing, they wanted us to stay in contact."

Abby rolled her eyes, "Did without us for a year, sacked us both, and now we can't be on holiday without getting called back in to work."

"No. We're only to be used if necessary. I told them… oh."

"What?" Abby asked.

"It's right near us." As if on cue, his phone rang.

Abby listened to the one-sided conversation, growing increasingly irritated. They _did _have to work. She was claiming the hours… she was bloody well getting paid for this. She told Connor to relay how hazardous the roads had gotten. She was not certain they could make it to the site. She was going to have to look for somewhere to pull over to wait for some of the snow to clear out, but they'd check the anomaly out as soon as they could.

Connor hung up the phone and cleared his throat, "They'll send a team, but they want us to get there and lock it since we're so close."

Abby made a noise of disgust, "Lock it? How?"

"In the boot… I-"

"You brought a locking device?"

"Yep. I was planning to make a few modifications if I had time, and I figured if we by chance got called out, it would be good to be able to, um, lock it."

Abby sighed. Some days she missed working somewhere normal where she could go on holiday without bringing work with her.

"What? That's weird. It's gone. Where's it gone?" Connor muttered, a wrinkle forming in between his eyebrows.

"Good!" Abby replied emphatically. She'd not lose sleep over a missing anomaly, although she was not exactly looking forward to meeting Connor's mum. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, so she'd agreed to it. She thought it would be awkward and uncomfortable. She was not the "take home to Mum," type. Well, apparently she _was, _according to Connor.

She spotted services up ahead. It would do. It looked like this one had restaurant inside, so at least she and Connor could get something to eat whilst they waited for the storm to clear. She shot Connor an irritated glance when he yelped as she turned into the car park. Honestly, he was the most delicate passenger… as if his driving was any better.

Connor unpeeled his fingers from the death grip he'd had on the dash and the door handle and heaved a sigh of relief. The snowstorm had gotten so bad that they couldn't see but a couple of meters out the front windscreen. Connor had been ready to suggest they pull off the M1 to wait it out, and the sight of the shining lights and rows of petrol pumps of motorway services had seemed like a godsend. Connor squinted at the sign printed on a large rock, but couldn't make it out through the snow.

Connor and Abby ducked and ran to try to get inside before they turned into icicles, slipping and sliding as they rushed into the entrance. Abby surveyed the interior, relieved to see an M&S to go with Costa Coffee and Burger King.

"Coffee! I'd about kill for a cappuccino. Want somethin' Abby?"

She nodded absently, "Yeah. Same for me. Then we'll get a bite and ring the ARC to let them know we're stuck."

They settled in for their meal and coffee… at least the coffee was good, if a little watered down. Connor choked at the prices, but it wasn't as if they had much choice. The storm had gotten even worse. Lights flickered off and on intermittently, and neither of their mobiles had a signal. They'd asked to use a land line, but the geeky kid behind the counter said that it had gone out before the mobile signal had.

Abby rested her head on the table after they'd finished eating. She had a horrid headache. She felt like all of the tension in her body had centered at the base of her skull. To top it off, now she'd meet Connor's mum all travel-worn and exhausted. Perfect. She felt her chances of making a good impression slipping away.

Connor slid into the booth next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "Lean on me, yeah? I'm softer than the table."

She leaned into him gratefully, accepting his offer of warmth and solace. Connor pressed a kiss to the top of her head and took a moment to enjoy that it was just the two of them again. He'd missed that, more than he realized. He closed his eyes and held her; there were worse ways to wait out a storm.

Evidently, the few other motorists on the road had chosen to stop elsewhere; they were the smart ones. If Connor would have known how dirty and small this station was ahead of time, they would have stopped at the one farther back. He knew for certain they would not have been able to drive any further down the M1, and the weather showed no sign of clearing. He had about given up on the idea of making it the rest of the way home that evening. The older lady behind the counter at the coffee counter had told them that most of the employees had been sent home already. It was just her, the kid behind M&S, and the petrol attendant. Even Burger King had closed. Aside from one pensioner couple sat at the table caddy-corner, the place was empty. It seemed they'd weather the storm together.

The relative calm and quiet was broken as a group of three rough-looking men stormed in through the front door. They surveyed the interior, seeming more as if they were casing the place instead of looking for a table. Abby raised her head from Connor's shoulder and peered at them suspiciously. She traded a glance with Connor, saw her disquiet echoed in his dark eyes. He pulled her a little closer and motioned for her to put her hood up. His jaw hardened as he overheard a portion of their conversation. He wasn't sure what "find him," entailed, but he didn't figure it was a good thing.

One from the group headed off to the petrol counter whilst the other two stood by the fruit stand in the entry and waited. Connor got the feeling that if they attempted to leave, they'd not be let out the door. A scream rang out, quickly cut off. Moments later one of the rough men returned to lock the front door. Connor gripped Abby's hand under the table. They were in trouble.

The group moved to the M&S counter, hassling the young man working there. The kid had been rude and sarcastic, and more concerned with playing with his mobile than taking their order, but Connor had not wanted to see him hurt. One of the men reached up and smacked the kid; Connor imagined the kid had shot his mouth off to the wrong person. Connor narrowed his eyes further, but a warning squeeze from Abby kept his mouth firmly shut. She was right, of course, but he still wanted to tell them to leave the kid alone. The lights flickered again, and then went out completely. _Perfect. _The emergency lights came on after a brief pause.

The men grew louder, brief snippets of conversation drifting over in their direction. Connor tilted his head to catch a glimpse of what was going on behind him, but he wished he hadn't. The register was open, and one of the burly men had the kid by the throat. The kid was gasping for breath, and he was sure any moment he'd pass out. There was no need for that. The boy was cooperating with them; he looked scared half to death. The lady from the coffee counter was watching in horror, but she made no move to intervene.

"Abby, you've got to get out of here," he murmured. Before he knew what he was doing, he'd slid out of the booth, and was striding towards them.

"Oy! Don't hurt the kid, eh mate?" Connor swallowed hard as the men all turned to face him at once. He smiled nervously, "He'll give ya what you want. We're all stuck here, yeah? Let's just-" Connor's eyes widened as one of the men drew a snub-nosed pistol from under his jacket. He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, "My mistake. It's nothin' to do with me. I'll just…" he motioned over to where he'd been sitting and begun to back away.

The man with the gun grinned, "Connor Temple… it's got everything to do with you. This is just a bit of fun." He turned to his companion, "Tie the kid and the old bitch up and put them with the other one… somewhere out of the way."

One of his companions, a rather large man with the shaved head and German accent nodded, "I'll stash them in the freezer, Del."

"Put the old couple in there, too."

Connor thought fast; he had no idea what they had planned for them all, but it didn't sound promising, "Look up there," Connor gestured to the ceiling and a round half circle of smoked glass, "Cameras. You'll be caught. Just walk out of here and we'll all forget we saw ya."

All three of the men laughed, "Mate, we came for you… and unless you can beat the price on you and your girlfriend, you're leaving with us," the leader said.

"Leave her out of this. I thought you said it was about me."

The German took a step towards him, "She's a bonus," the men traded a glance, "In more ways than one."

Abby hated the thought of leaving Connor, but they obviously were meant to capture him alive. If she could get away, maybe she could get some help. She hoped Connor had a black box in the boot along with the locking device. If she could get to it, and send a distress signal, the security team would get there as soon as possible. Bad thing was the weather was so nasty; it might be a good long while. Now was her best chance; Connor had drawn their attention.

Abby took off at a dead sprint towards the back of the building. There had to be another exit besides the front door. She faltered as she heard Connor cry out in pain, but made herself keep running. She knew that her being in danger was an Achilles heel to him, and if she could take herself out of the equation he'd fare much better. She was beginning to think she was going to make it when she was grabbed by her hair and bodily slammed to the hard linoleum floor. She tasted blood in her mouth, and she knew her cheek would be bruised but she ignored the pain. She twisted and managed a kick, but it barely grazed her attacker.

He pulled his own gun from the holster under his arm and smiled, "Try me, sweetheart," the man with the German accent threatened.

Abby glared up at him but stayed down. He produced a roll of thin wire from a pocket, "Roll over. Hands together behind your back. Try anything, and I'll put a bullet through your little blonde head."

She gritted her teeth and did as he said, wincing as the wire bit into her wrists. She stood gingerly when he asked her to, and walked back into the restaurant. Connor went wild when he saw her, and rather than struggle to keep hold of him, the head guy simply leveled his gun on Abby.

Connor froze, panting and wild eyed, "If you hurt her, so help me I'll-"

The German chuckled, "You'll what, little man? Bleed on me? I plan to hurt her… and you'll sit and watch, or I'll kill her."

The man in charge, the one he'd called Del nodded his agreement, "You have the blow? We can make this a proper party. We have all the entertainment we need right here."

Connor growled low in his throat, "If you hurt her, you'll pay. I promise you. You'll have to kill me, and I have some very good friends that could kill ya before you could blink. They'll come for ya."

"Oy! George, this one thinks he's well scary," Del chortled, "I think that's a challenge."

Man number three, the quiet one with black close-cropped hair and dead, flat eyes didn't even crack a smile. He narrowed his eyes, balled his left hand into a fist and landed a hard left hook on Connor's jaw. He swore he saw stars, just like in a kid's cartoon. He blinked, trying to clear his eyes and sagged against the man called Del, who was holding him in place. They'd bound his hands behind him as they'd done to Abby, and they'd used loops and loops of fine wire. Pulling at his bonds just caused them to dig into his flesh, and trying to loosen them was pointless.

"Leave him alone," Abby cried out as she saw Connor take a devastating blow.

She reeled as the German man holding her immobile responded with hard slap across her mouth. She bit back her cry of anger and rage; it would just upset Connor, and they'd hurt him worse.

Connor saw it anyway. "Does it make you feel like a big man to hurt women?" he asked scornfully.

"Connor, no!" Abby warned.

The man that slapped her tuned his ire on Connor and punched him in the stomach. Connor did as she'd shown him, tightening his abs to absorb the impact. It still had to hurt. There was nothing he could do against the punch to his face that followed, or the body shot that followed _that_… this one aimed at his kidneys.

"Ease off on the head," Del ordered, "Client said he needs his brain working."

The German smiled broadly, "You're right. This _is _like a proper party. Open the girl's shirt. I want to do lines off her tits."

Connor struggled at the words, fury clouding his judgment. The flat-eyed man called George calmly struck him again, and this time when his knees gave way, they let him drop to the floor.

Abby began to fight her captor as he and George moved to lay her down on the floor, but the click of a bullet moving into the chamber of Del's pistol froze her in place. He held the barrel of the gun to Connor's knee. It wouldn't kill him… probably, but he'd be crippled for life. Connor's eyes were wide but she could see he was desperately trying to hide just how scared he was. She could see him trembling, though he'd locked his jaw in a stubborn line and was refusing to beg. She'd not let it happen. She could save him.

Abby closed her eyes and went to that place from her childhood where nothing could touch her. It was easier to find than she would have liked. She stared at the ceiling and left her body whilst her spirit cowered in the dark. She'd promised herself she'd never ever allow herself to be in this position again. For Connor, she'd brave it. She lay passively as her shirt was ripped open, and then her bra. She closed her eyes again tightly and blanked out everything around her.

Connor's mouth was full of blood; he felt like he was choking on it. He could hardly see through his left eye, and his body felt as if he'd been trampled by a herd of Megaraptors. Compared to seeing Abby passively lay down and close her eyes whilst her shirt was ripped down the middle, the pain in his body was nothing. He wished he was someone else in that moment. Someone bigger, stronger… someone that could have gotten Abby out of this. The gun held to him meant nothing to him; he had to stop this.

"Abby!" he screamed, thrashing wildly.

**TBC**

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A/N: I know... the gift of birthday cliffie. LOL! *ducks* sorry... I am mostly done with chapter two, if that is any consolation. You know what helps me to write faster? Yep. Reviews. Please feed the muse?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Whew! This one has really gotten out of control! Also, wanted to thank Evenstar_Estel for letting me bounce ideas off her for this fic… she's a wonderfully talented author! **

**Thank you so much for taking a second to review... it means the world to me. I really hope you like this!**

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Chapter 2

"What the hell is that?" George asked as the flickering coalesced into a shimmering ball of light behind them.

The gun flew out of the German's slack grip, sucked into the newly formed anomaly. Del wisely holstered his. The three men momentarily ignored their quarry in favor of staring into the anomaly. Seeing as he was the quarry, Connor was relieved. He understood the awe that an anomaly caused when someone saw one for the first time; he hoped he could use it against them. Connor scooted towards Abby; she hadn't even moved.

"Abby! Get up," he said urgently, his voice hushed to avoid drawing their captor's attention.

She was still lying motionless, and the complete lack of expression on her face made his blood run cold. He didn't know what to do, but he knew whatever it was, he'd need to do it quickly. Either their captors would get bored of the anomaly and turn back to torturing them, or something could come through. Connor tried to think positive… perhaps they would go through and it would close behind them? No. He never had that sort of luck.

He bent over her, getting as close as he could, wincing as his body protested. For all they had said they wanted him intact, he certainly didn't feel very intact. He kissed her cheek, though his lips felt swollen, "Abby, please. Look at me. We need to get out of here."

She shivered violently and opened her eyes, and then turned her head to look at him. Relief flooded through him as he read recognition behind her eyes. She was with him. Good. She sat up slowly, keeping her eyes on the men still staring fascinated at the anomaly. They'd begun to argue. Perfect. That meant they were distracted. It seemed the German wanted to go in after his gun. That would certainly help to even the odds a little bit for he and Abby.

Connor whispered, "We're going to make a run for it. No matter what, you keep going. Promise me."

"You are coming too," Abby argued without turning to look at him.

"Yep. Yeah, 'course. But if somethin' happens… you keep going. Ready?"

She nodded as they got their feet under them, "You do the same, hear?"

His dark eyes met hers for a moment. He gave a quick nod. There was no way in hell he'd leave her, but he'd not tell her that for expediency's sake. They hadn't got the time for it.

The German stuck his head through the anomaly. This was likely their best opportunity. Connor was wobbly, but he'd run, damn it. He'd manage it somehow. Abby and Connor both flinched as the German was yanked through, a strangled scream echoing through the service station. A heartbeat later, a creature came through, encouraged by finding a source of easy prey. Del drew his gun and fired at the large dinosaur. Unfazed, the creature attacked, tearing his neck nearly half off of his body with one bite. The dinosaur was about the size of a grizzly bear, and much like a grizzly bear, humans were no match for its power and speed.

"Utahraptor," Connor breathed, "Go… Go!"

They took off running awkwardly as another Utahraptor came through behind the first. Connor urged Abby along frantically as his mind categorized and classified the creature; Utahraptors were large, very fast Theropods from the late Cretaceous. Many paleontologists had theorized that they were among the smartest of the dinosaurs, but the things didn't need to be smart to eat them. Connor pushed the dinosaur trivia out of his mind impatiently, it wasn't useful or helpful at this time… just distracting. They hurried, Connor at more of a staggering lope than a run, but with their hands bound behind them, he wasn't sure if it would be fast enough. They made it almost out of the restaurant area before the Utahraptors stopped feeding on their captors and noticed them.

Connor and Abby headed down the center hallway and for the back of the petrol counter, diving behind it and crouching low whilst they searched for a back exit. The service area was put together like a maze, and what had been irritating to them when they'd first arrived was now the very thing that could give them the precious moments they needed to escape. Panting hard, hurting and terrified, Connor was watching for Utahraptors instead of his feet. He tripped and went sprawling, landing face-first on the hard linoleum floor. He gave a short scream as he realized exactly what he'd tripped over. The petrol attendant… dead. By the vibrant ligature marks on his neck, it was obvious how he'd gone. Connor wondered about the fate of the others.

"Connor, get _up. _They'll be coming!" Abby hissed. The man was dead, and they would be too if they didn't find somewhere to hide.

Connor forced himself to his feet and peered over the counter. He heard the Utahraptors moving in the hall. It was only a matter of time before they found them. He studied the room frantically, looking for some form of shelter. Abby tilted her head towards the exit sign. Connor nodded in return. They ran for the exit, mingled relief and fear speeding their way. Abby reached the door first and slammed against the bar to open it. It didn't open. She gave a strangled cry of frustration, "Won't open!"

Connor tried it, but it wouldn't yield to him either. He searched for an alternative; his eyes lit on the large walk-in freezer where one of their captors had said he'd stashed the others. Large, metal, fairly scent-proof and with a securely latching door, it would be the perfect place to escape the dinosaurs.

"The freezer, Abby. Go!"

She went, fast as she was able. Connor turned his back to the freezer door and fumbled with the handle, but his hands were numbed by loss of circulation, and blood had tricked down his wrists to coat his hands, further preventing him from getting a good enough grip on the handle to turn it. They were running out of time_. _He focused on his surroundings, forcing himself to _think. _"Can't get it… somewhere else."

Abby spotted the open door of what had probably been the manager's office. Upon initial inspection when they'd first entered the room, they'd discounted it as a potential hiding place. It was tiny, and the wooden door looked as if it might fall off the hinges at any moment, but it might be enough of a deterrent to get the Utahraptors off their back for long enough for the team from the ARC to arrive. Aside from ducking behind the counter with the dead guy, who would likely serve as a tasty snack, they were out of other options.

The ARC would have detected the reoccurrence of the anomaly, and when both Connor and Abby failed to respond to their calls, they'd know something was amiss. Jess was sharp, and they'd have to hope she put two and two together and conveyed the fact that they might be in trouble to the responding team. Abby crouched low and went for the little office; Connor followed and managed to kick the door shut behind him just as a Utahraptor entered the room and began steadily picking its way down the isle.

"Don't think it spotted us," Connor whispered.

Abby shushed him, listening for the creature. It rooted around in the shop area, knocking over boxes and shelving. At one point, the wet sound of splintering bone and rending flesh was all they could hear. It wasn't difficult to suss out what the Utahraptor was doing. Connor swallowed back the gorge rising in his throat and tried to simply concentrate on being as still as possible whilst he waited to see if they'd be found, and then summarily torn to bits. It was an uncomfortably familiar feeling. He and Abby leaned on each other and waited, as they had all the other times. It struck him as absurd that there should _be _other times comparable to their current situation. He nearly laughed out loud in relief when they heard the Theropod leave.

After a few long minutes of silence signaled the dinosaur was most definitely no longer in the room, Connor nudged Abby, and then leaned in close to speak in her ear. He was taking no chances. "First thing, we get our hands free. Turn around and I'll see if I can get yours with me mouth," he offered.

Abby shook her head in the negative, "No. I'll do yours first. You'd bite my fingers off." Connor's lips were swollen and puffy on one side, and he sported a split in his top lip. It had clotted, but it would open and bleed again if he tried to free her that way. She stopped that line of reasoning cold. If she thought too hard on how badly he'd been beaten, she'd lose her ability to think rationally, and they simply couldn't afford that. She was ever a practical girl, and practicality dictated that she act, not think. Not yet.

She managed to get the wire loosened using her fingertips, although it was slow going. After she'd freed Connor, it was a good long while before he was able to get feeling enough back in his hands to release her. She knotted her torn t-shirt back together, thankful she at least still had her jacket. She'd not want anyone from the ARC to see it; she'd rather just pretend that it had never happened. She'd always found comfort in denial.

They hid for what seemed like ages. Connor was finally able to raise a signal on his mobile and contacted the ARC. As they had surmised, help was already en route. The storm was beginning to clear; a team should arrive within three hours. The Utahraptors made another appearance, but let them be. The second time around, one of them butted its head against the door hard enough for it to nearly break off its hinges. Connor and Abby had held each other tightly and waited for death. It seemed their luck had held on as long as it could. One more direct hit, and the wood splintered. A third never came. The ARC security team, headed by Becker, had arrived.

The medics checked them over, and lucky for them both, neither had sustained serious injuries. Connor would need some time to recover, more so than Abby, but it looked a whole lot worse than it actually was. He'd sustained some lacerations and deep bruising over his face, torso, and worst of all his wrists, but he had no broken bones and apparently no internal injuries. Abby watched over him as the medic cleaned and then applied a dressing to his battered wrists. The thin wire had bit into him deeply as he'd struggled to escape. He'd likely always bear the scars of it. Abby wondered if he'd take to wearing gloves again.

The medic turned to Becker and explained that he was releasing them to him, with the understanding that they were to rest and recover. He gave Abby a script for some heavy painkillers for Connor to go along with the initial dose he'd given him and warned that he was not to take them on an empty stomach. Connor blearily agreed, and climbed down from the ambulance gingerly with Abby and Becker's aid.

Becker clapped him on the shoulder, "Alright. Let's get you two home."

Connor's fatigue lifted in an instant, "No! I'm going to me mum's. I promised her. If I promised her, we have to go. It's important."

An expression of faint surprise crossed Becker's face, "We need to find out who was behind this. It's not safe-"

"Stuff safe! We'll not be any safer at home than we would be at me mum's. I'm going. There is nothing in my file to connect me to her," Connor insisted. Becker looked as if he might argue, but Connor quickly cut him off again, "Those guys followed us from home. _That's _where it's not safe. I'll go to me mum's for a week. We'll keep out of sight, and you do whatever it is you have to… find out what this is all about, yeah?"

Becker hesitated, and Abby jumped in, "Please? He hasn't seen her since…"

Becker nodded, "Alright… but you contact us _every day. _I'll give you both a black box, and if I say you need to go somewhere for your protection, you go. No questions asked."

They agreed, much to Becker's relief.

Abby and Connor raided their luggage for a change of clothing, and both changed before they headed northward towards Blackburn. Abby'd had to help Connor into a pair of soft sleep trousers and a t-shirt. The more comfortable he was, the better. This way she could put him to bed straightaway as soon as they got to his mother's. Connor stayed awake on the ride there, despite the pills the medic had made him swallow before declaring him fit for travel. He was strangely quiet, but Abby was fighting her own internal demons so she let him be.

She nudged him when they neared his home town. She had a sat-nav, but she knew they sometimes weren't reliable in residential areas. Connor guided her to his home, the wrinkle between his brows giving evidence to his growing unease. He was having second and third and fourth thoughts by this time, but it was far too late to back out now. Abby pulled into a modest yellow house that looked as if it had seen better days. Connor squeezed her hand briefly in reassurance. She wasn't sure whether it was for her sake, or his own. Perhaps it was both.

She went round to Connor's side to help him out of the car. He leaned on her for support, but did his best to bear up his own weight. He drew in a deep fortifying breath and blew it out. "Ready?" he asked, his voice tight. Abby just nodded. They crossed the porch to the front door; the interior door stood open and only the glass was closed. She must have been watching for them.

A petite woman with dark hair moved to answer the door. She held a cane in her hand and she'd walked to the door with a heavy limp. She had a kind face, rounder and softer than Connor's. Abby could see the echo of her in his face, especially in her warm chocolate brown eyes. There was no mistaking that Connor was her son. She gave a smile filled with polite confusion to Abby before her eyes registered that the bruised and battered man stood on the porch next to her was her son. Her eyes widened in abject terror, "Connor? No! He can't hurt you anymore, he's gone. He's gone!"

Connor took her into his arms, "Mum, I'm fine. It wasn't Karl. He's dead, remember?"

She nodded, "I killed him. I remember. For you..."

Connor's eyes snapped up to meet Abby's, afraid of what he would see there. This was _not _how he'd intended to explain about his mother's peculiarities. He'd hoped that he could gloss over certain things, but there was no hope for that any longer. He'd have to spill the whole humiliating tale. Intellectually he knew he had nothing to be ashamed of, but his heart was not ruled by his mind... never had been, much to his perpetual chagrin. Abby looked stunned, but unflinching. If _anyone _would understand the horror he and his mother endured, she held his mother close as she cried, ignoring the little flares of pain, "We were... well, it's a long story. But I'm okay. Mum, can we go inside?"

They'd gone in, and his mum had managed to compose herself after she'd had time to make sense of Connor's story. He told her a story pretty close to the truth, minus the anomaly. They'd all had a cuppa whilst he'd explained, but he'd been anxious to have a lie down. The fatigue he'd fought off on the trip had caught up with him, and he wanted to sleep to escape from his aching body. His mother offered to get his script filled whist he and Abby settled in, and a relieved Abby agreed. She hadn't wanted to leave him.

He asked Abby if she'd lay next to him, unsure if she would still want to now that the dirty secrets of his past were splitting open at the seams right before her. Abby lay down on the bed and bid him to lay against her chest, his head pillowed on her breasts. Her arms wrapped around him; the tension in his body eased as he felt her warm acceptance. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but found himself speaking after a few long moments of listening to her heart beating steadily beneath his ear. He told Abby all of it.

The limp was from where Connor's stepfather had shattered his mother's knee. They had both lived under the shadow of his abuse, although it had taken a long time for his mother to see it. Years. In the beginning, Connor had liked the man that had replaced his father in his mother's life, but as he grew to know Karl, the initially affable man transformed into something else entirely… especially when he'd been drinking. As time went on, he'd spent less and less time sober. Connor's initial affection for the man that was able to miraculously make his mother smile again transmuted to fear.

He hadn't wanted to spoil it for his mum, so when Karl's abuse began, he simply endured it. He had been putting on a happy face for her for a long time, and he good very good at it. His mother had sunk into a deep depression when his father had died, and at age ten Connor had begun to learn how to smile rather than cry, to laugh when he wanted to scream, and to shrug off insult when he'd rather respond with violence. Shortly after his father's death, Connor had found her passed out in her bedroom, pills strewn across the floor. He'd blamed himself for it. If he hadn't been so needy, if he'd only been able to be strong for her, she wouldn't have tried to kill herself. From that point forward, his world revolved around keeping her happy and sane.

By the time Karl's abuse had gotten to the point where he could hardly bear it, he was no longer sure how to detangle himself from it. To keep her happy, he'd remained silent. What he hadn't realized was that his mother was as miserable as he. She'd started drinking to numb the pain, and on top of that she took pills to calm her nerves. That had been a very bleak point in young Connor Temple's life, and he'd hardly thought it could get any worse. It had. Karl had began to openly abuse Connor, and his mother was too lost in her own sea of pills and drink to even notice. She ignored blackened eyes and busted lips, bruises where there should be none. Connor hadn't even needed to lie about it anymore; he figured she didn't care.

It had taken a beating so extreme that Connor had been hospitalized for her to come out of her stupor enough to break free of it. She'd put herself in harm's way to protect him. Karl had picked up the metal pipe, intent on striking Connor across the back since he'd curled up into a protective ball. Taking a hit such as that on his unprotected spine might have rendered him paralyzed. Instead, his mother had leapt in front of him wielding a kitchen knife. He'd shattered her knee. The police arrived, but it was too late for Karl. Connor's mother had shoved the entire blade of her largest kitchen knife into Karl's stomach, and then sliced upwards. He'd died in moments, eviscerated. Connor had waited for the next blow to fall, trembling and terrified. It never came. Karl would never hurt him again.

He paused for a moment in his story, thinking back to when he'd asked Helen Cutter how she could kill her husband. It was an ironic statement coming from him… the son of a woman who had murdered her husband. That his mum had been justified was beside the point. He reflected that what he'd truly meant was that he didn't understand how she could kill a man like Nick Cutter, who had gone into the burning building to save her. The man had been good, and kind, and Connor had loved him like a father… and like his father, and his step-father, Nick Cutter had been murdered.

Connor blinked back the tears rising in his eyes, and continued the narrative. He'd not want Abby to think his mother was weak or that she should be pitied. He needed to tell her the rest.

His mother's road to recovery was a long one, but they managed. Connor's mother was stronger than she knew; she survived and thrived in the wake of the nightmare they had both endured. She did her best to look after Connor, and if she was a little overprotective, he found it hard to fault her for it. It had been one of the most difficult decisions of his life to leave her for Uni, but she'd seen him wasting his intelligence and potential in blue-collar work and she couldn't bear it. Although her Connor was an excellent mechanic, and the money he brought in was desperately needed, he should have the chance to be the scientist he always wanted to be. She'd encouraged him to apply for scholarships, and he'd won one.

Abby knew the rest of the story. She wiped the tears that had silently tracked down her face with the back of her hand. She was not one to cry, but Connor's story had resonated with her own so deeply that she couldn't help it. She could tell that he'd been afraid to tell her, but if anything, this made her love him even more. He'd laid his past out in front of her so openly, trusting her implicitly. She'd always believed he was among the most courageous men she'd ever known, especially because he didn't believe himself to be, but he'd just confirmed it to her beyond any question.

He turned in the circle of her arms to look at her face, scared and ashamed but a glimmer of his ever hopeful nature shined through. His dark chocolate eyes took in the tears on her face; stricken, he sat up so that he could face her fully.

He cradled her cheek in his hand, "Abby? Why are ya crying?"

She shook her head, unable to explain it. For all her talk of not being victimized, she'd allowed herself to become embittered by her abuse. She'd shrouded herself in ice, and only with Connor had she began to let herself feel deeply again. She was still working on learning to show it, but after so long… it was hard. That Connor should survive what he had with his pure spirit and faith in the inherent goodness of humanity still intact was humbling. Connor was a _good _man.

"M'sorry, Abby. _Please _stop crying."

She shook her head, "I can't… but I'm fine, really," Abby laughed. She cradled his face in her hands and gently kissed him.

Connor returned it, bemused, but intuitively understanding that something between them had changed.

**TBC**

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A/N: Next chapter will be M, so it will not appear on the regular update page. I really hope you liked this, and please feed my very needy muse? Reviews are love, and they speed her up.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the wait folks, but it had to be right… I do hope it proves to be worth it. Please enjoy.**

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Chapter 3**

Connor felt the shift between them, but he was not sure what to make of it. Abby had softened towards him in a way that she never had before. Oh, she'd had moments of gentleness and kindness with him in the past, especially when they were alone, but there was always a part of her that she'd held in reserve. A little piece of herself that she'd never shared with him or anyone else, even though she gave more to _him_ than she had to any other. She allowed herself to be more human with him. Always had done, even whilst she was just his best mate. He, and he alone, was allowed to glimpse what lay beneath the chinks in her armor, and he knew for a fact that the face she showed on the outside rarely matched what was within. They were a lot alike in that regard.

He'd been a bit hurt that she'd continued to close a part of herself to him after they became a proper couple, though he'd tried not to be. He knew that sometimes she went off by herself to cry, and he wished more than anything that she would take comfort in _him _and not feel that she had to be so damn strong all the time_. _He tried to understand it, and at least in part, he sort of did. Look how much he'd hidden about his past when he should have known he needn't do that with her. How was he to marry her if he'd not even felt like he could introduce her to his mum? He would do his part, and maybe eventually, she'd do hers. He'd bitten the bullet, called his mother and told her he was coming home with his girl.

Since they'd returned from the Cretaceous, he'd been a little unsure that she was as committed to him as he was to her. He'd dreamed of marrying her for years, but she'd not once given him any indication that she wanted the same. He'd just assumed. She'd _had _opened up him more whilst they'd been trapped together, but she was careful to avoid mentioning a future with him. At the time, he'd chalked it up to the fact that she'd refused to talk about any future that involved getting back home. Since coming back home, he'd begun to think that he'd had it wrong. Perhaps it was because she didn't fancy _him_ being in her future. She'd told him she loved him; he tried to remember it. He tried.

He'd been terrified to ask Abby to marry him, especially after the reaction he'd gotten with his little slip-up before, but he found that for some reason he was strangely calm about it now. More than that, he believed she just might say 'd not known what to expect when he'd decided to take Abby to meet his mum, but as harrowing as the experience had been what with the kidnapping and anomaly and Utahraptors… and then his half-mad mum herself, he was grateful for the end result. He desperately needed Abby's support, and for the _very first time,_ he felt like he had _all_ of Abby.

Being home was hard. Being around his mother was hard; he thought about how much more difficult this experience would have been without Abby there beside him. How much more difficult _everything _was without Abby beside him. He loved his mother, but too much had happened between them for him to ever be able to look at her without feeling pain. Three days in his old home had seemed like forever, but they were headed home thanks to Becker's quick work and Abby's insistence that they were needed at the ARC. Abby had given him an excuse; she knew he couldn't bear to hurt his mum, but he also couldn't stay much longer without cracking.

Becker had checked in with them; he'd traced their almost-kidnappers back to a nasty character with far too much money and very little in the way of ethics. How he'd managed to find out about Connor and his tie to the anomalies was still a mystery, but he had prior connections to Philip Burton. The man's name had become anathema to the whole team; if something was ugly, illegal, or immoral, it was probably related to Philip. It appeared as if they had missed a security leak in the post-Burton clean-up operation but Becker said the immediate threat was removed and they were clear to come home. Finding the source of the leak would take some time, but Becker was confident that his team would get it sorted.

Connor opened his eyes and smiled at Abby, "We there yet?"

She snorted and rolled her eyes, "Close. About a half-hour."

Connor groaned and scratched ideally at the scabs that circled his wrists. "I miss me bed," he complained.

"Stop scratching," Abby ordered, shooting him a warning glance. "Besides, I seem to recall that _you _had a bed. _Your_ bed."Connor winced, "Sorry, me mum is a bit old fashioned and I-"Abby met his gaze for a brief moment, "You can't tell her no."His cheek twitched, "Sorry," he apologized again, embarrassed. "I-""It's okay, Connor. I understand," Abby interrupted, and then twined her fingers with his.

And she did understand, even if she didn't exactly approve.

Connor and his mother had a strange relationship. He loved her… that much was obvious, as was the strain between them. There was so much pain and sorrow between the two of them that it nearly broke Abby's heart. She understood why he'd not come home to see her in all the time she'd known him. Grace, Connor's mum, was as sweet a woman as she'd ever known, but it seemed she was perpetually trying to make up for what had happened to Connor. For his part, Connor agreed to anything his mother asked. When Abby inquired where they should store their luggage, they were directed to separate rooms. As a result, they'd slept apart for the first time since they'd been a proper couple. Connor's mum had expected them to sleep apart, and Connor would not argue. Out of respect, Abby let it go without protest.

Connor needed to rest, but being around his mother seemed to launch him into hyper drive. After three days time she was nearly ready to lose her mind, Connor was close to snapping, and poor Grace was in a perpetual state of frazzled nerves. Abby had insisted that they were desperately needed back at the ARC primarily to have an excuse for them to leave early. Connor would never do it of his own accord. He'd very quickly fallen into old patterns of behavior once back at home, and neither he nor Abby liked it much.

Abby was taking him home where she could take care of him properly, and that was that. Grace, bless her, must have seen the strain the visit was putting on her son. She hadn't tried to convince them to stay, only to visit more often than once every three years. Some day, Abby promised herself, she and Connor would try and fix what was broken between him and his mother… but not this time.

Connor stared down at their interlaced hands and nodded, "Thanks."

Abby stole a glance at him, saw the red staining his cheeks and tried to think of how she could fix it. She didn't fancy having _this _hanging over their heads; she really _did _understand why he couldn't deny his mum. "I have my own share of issues, Connor," she decided on finally.

He glanced at her quickly, his dark eyes grave. He must have seen what he needed there because he smiled slightly and nodded, "Yeah."

She took a deep breath and ignored the warmth she felt stealing over her own face. She was no good at these sort of things, "I missed sleeping with you."

His little smile turned into a full-fledged grin, complete with dimple flashing in his left cheek, "Have ya?"

He looked so pleased and filled with manly pride that she found the remainder of her embarrassment slipping away. She so rarely gave him moments like this… and he was just so cute.

Abby raised an eyebrow and gave him an amused smirk, "Yes… and not just the sleeping part."

Connor's already bright smile broadened even more. Still, she couldn't help but tease him a little bit, "You've not missed it?" she asked innocently."Oh god, yes!" he continued, "If I don't get some relief soon, me bollocks are gonna explode."

Abby laughed outright, "We're almost home."

Connor leaned back in the corner of the seat and took in the image of a blindingly happy Abby and sighed contentedly. He scratched at his wrists again and thought about laying Abby down on their bed and making love to her. He was still stiff and sore, but then again, so was his cock. She was wearing snug khaki trousers and one of her little singlets that he loved so much, and it left little to the imagination. He'd have a hell of a time keeping his mind out of her knickers now that's she'd mentioned what she had in mind for him once they were home.

She glanced over at Connor as he shifted uncomfortably in the seat and eyed the impressive bulge in his jeans. What she'd really fancy would be to take Connor and have her way with him the minute they got home. She raked him with a heated gaze, "Something the matter?"

He gave a short embarrassed laugh, "What? No… just," he coughed, and once again a blush rose on his cheeks, "the whole exploding thing."

She nodded, her lips twitched with barely suppressed mirth, "Feel free to see to that."

He gave her a horrified look before he realized she'd been teasing him. She _had _just been teasing him, right?

Connor could swear the journey home took triple the time that it should, and by the time they parked outside their flat, he was ready to skip the bed altogether and lay Abby down on the floor. She popped the lever for the boot to get out their luggage, but Connor shut it again as he exited the car and came around the side.

"Why did you-"

"Leave it," Connor answered and he tugged her after him to the front door and waited impatiently for her to unlock it.

As soon as they were inside, he moulded himself to her, trapped her between the door and his hard body and kissed her deeply. She buried a hand in his hair, the other cradling his jaw as she responded hungrily. She may not be good with expressing herself with words, but she could _show _him. She really _had_ missed sleeping next to him, and she hadn't slept well at all the last few days without his warm body pressed close to hers. She'd been terrified by the experience in the service station, and all she'd really wanted to do that first night was to hold Connor close as she fell asleep. She'd been denied that simple pleasure for three long nights, and she'd be denied him no longer.

She wanted to touch him, taste him, breathe him in… she wanted to feel him deep inside of her. She tugged at his clothing; he took the hint and shed his t-shirt and began to fumble with his shoes. She pulled back long enough to remove her shirt, bra, shoes and trousers, and then cast a critical eye at the bruises mottling his torso. As much as she'd like to have him right were they stood, he needed the softness of a bed. Connor was still healing. She flattened her hands against his bare chest, traced down over his taut stomach, gripped the waistband of his jeans and pulled his hips flush against hers. "Trousers off. Bed," she ordered, her voice betraying her state of arousal.

He stared at her for a moment, his mouth open and slack, dark eyes glassy with lust. He nodded finally, as if he was just then hearing the words, and then removed the rest of his clothing with trembling hands. Abby took a moment to appreciate the lines of his body, admiring his lean wiry muscle. She frowned momentarily, disturbed by exactly how much of his body was covered by bruising and abrasions. She traced her fingertips over a particularly vivid bruise on his lower ribcage.

"M'fine," he gave a half smile, "Or will be," he amended, his eyes wandering down to rest on her pert breasts.

She smirked, Connor pulled her into his arms again and kissed her softly. One hand trailed down her spine to rest on her arse; he hooked his thumb through the side of her knickers and pulled them down to pool around her feet. Now she was as naked as he. The kiss deepened and intensified, heat burning between them. They made their way towards the bedroom, touching and grasping, trading hot wet kisses as they stumbled into and around furniture. They fell into the bed together in an ungraceful heap, limbs tangled together.

Abby's giggle at their clumsiness turned to a gasp of pleasure as Connor crawled over top of her; his hot wet mouth and talented tongue teasing her to a fevered pitch. He had always been an attentive lover, and today was no exception. He flicked his fingers over the peaks of her tight nipples, the calluses on his fingertips scratching slightly. He fed upon her throat, across her clavicle and then down to take an aching nipple into his mouth. He swirled his tongue around the hard peak, nipped gently and then sucked hard. Abby arched against him as he gave an appreciative guttural moan. She loved him, god how she loved him. Tight muscle moved under her hands, his soft lips on her skin, his dark soulful eyes, so full of love for her as he lavished attention on her body. Even when they made love, he gave her so much. She never felt as if she could match it.

She'd thought she was going to lose him, and she knew if she ever did, it would destroy her. She dug her fingers into his flesh, twined them into his dark hair. He kissed his way down her side to her hipbone, and then settled himself between her parted thighs. He looked up the line of her body; she met his smoldering gaze with her own, let him see how badly she wanted him. His pupils were blown wide with arousal, he licked his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to the inside of her thigh. His breathing matched hers, erratic and panting, she could tell he was trying to restrain himself. She didn't want restraint. She wanted him hard and fast and _now. _She wanted him alive and inside of her.

She opened her mouth to tell him, but his head descended again and his mouth closed over her clit. The low moan that escaped her was far from what she'd intended to say, but with his tongue and lips playing her masterfully, she found herself helpless to do anything but revel in the sensation. Connor would usually bring her off once, and then start again, but she wasn't having it this time. She wanted his thick cock, and as delightful as his mouth was on her, and _oh god, he just added his fingers to the equation_… Just a few minutes, then.

"Connor, stop."

He did, confusion furrowing his brow. "Did I do-" he rasped, his voice rough with lust.

She almost let him finish his question just to hear him speak. "I need you," she said simply, her voice breathless.

He bit his lip as a shudder ran through him, "Yeah?"

"_Now, _Connor. I need you inside of me." Patience had never been her strong suit.

"Fuck," he cursed softly. Something about her saying such things to him just _did it _for him. He might be brought off from her words alone if she kept saying things like that to him.

He rose to a kneel, sat back on his heels and pulled her hips towards him, her legs splayed to either side of his narrow hips. He guided his cock inside of her slowly, knowing he needed to give her a moment to adjust to his girth. He rolled his hips slowly, moaning low in his throat as Abby's velvet warmth surrounded him. He set his jaw, concentrating on setting the slow but steady pace that Abby preferred.

"Hard… fast," she panted.

He gripped her hips hard and flipped his sweat damp hair from his eyes, "Won't last long," he warned.

"Please…"

With that, he was lost. He lowered himself over top of her, wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a tight embrace and surged into her. He buried his face in her neck as he slammed home again and again. Abby wrapped her legs around his waist and met him stroke for stroke. Her soft moans grew louder and he knew she was close. She moaned his name, murmured that she loved him and he was gone. He cried out as his blood burned and nerve endings sang.

Abby heard his hoarse cry, felt his thrusts turn even more forceful and erratic, the warmth as he shot into her and it was what she needed to take her over the edge. She cried out a second behind him, rode the tide of the orgasm alongside him, spiraling and bright and perfect, then they were spent. Connor went boneless and limp over top of her, then shifted to the side so all his weight wouldn't be on her. He pressed a kiss to her neck and nuzzled it slightly. They lay there, sweaty and utterly sated until they caught their breath again.

Connor shifted to lay on his side and looked down at her, a pleased smile playing on his lips. "Stuff sleeping apart… guess you'll just have to marry me so it's proper next time we visit."

Abby's eyes widened and then narrowed dangerously, "Connor Temple…if that is your proposal-"

Connor smiled mischievously and then cut her off with a kiss. Despite her better judgment, she returned it. Connor could kiss remarkably well, and her higher brain ceased functioning whenever he kissed her. Truly, it wasn't her fault. The man's lips were magical.

"I'm gonna do it right, when I do… with a ring and everything. I was just sayin'"

Abby rolled her eyes, but smiled despite herself. The idea of marrying Connor… well… not such a bad one. Provided he learned how to do a proper proposal first.

**END**

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A/N: Holy difficult story, Batman. This was like giving birth! Gah! Please support my blood, sweat and tears by leaving a review. Poor little muses are likely to starve, shrivel up, and cease writing if ya don't. **


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